Green Procurement Playbook 2025

Building block 1 The Stages of Excellence Assessment in eight building blocks CPO influence and executive leadership buy-in I II III IV Focus area Compliance driver Risk manager Value creator Sustainability leader CPO influence and executive leadership buy-in— CPO has limited visibility with executive leadership; sustainability seen as operational, not strategic. — No formal involvement of procur ement in corporate sustainability or business strategy discussions. — Green procur ement is perceived as a cost or compliance issue, not discussed at CEO/ Boar d level. — No sustainability KPIs reflected in leadership performance evaluation or incentives.— CPO occasionally engages with CSO or COO on supply chain sustainability risks. — Some support from senior executives, but seen as a tactical initiative without strategic priority . — Procur ement function highlights regulatory or reputational risks to gain leadership attention. — Isolated discussions of KPIs, but no formal linkage to executive compensation or gover nance.— CPO is recognized as a strategic contributor and actively engages CEO, CFO or Boar d on green procur ement. — Sustainability KPIs are partially integrated into executive scor ecar ds and business performance reviews. — Executive sponsors (e.g. CSO, COO) advocate for procur ement’ s sustainability agenda. — Green procur ement is regularly discussed in cross-functional leadership forums or steering committees.— CPO co-owns sustainability strategy with other C-level leaders; part of core decision-making forums. — A portion of executive compensation is tied to sustainability metrics directly influenced by procur ement (e.g. scope 3 emissions, responsible sour cing). — Green procur ement has dedicated time in Boar d/CEO-level reviews; CPO presents progress and priorities. — Senior leaders publicly champion procur ement’ s role, linking it to growth, resilience and innovation. — Procur ement is awar e of the corporate sustainability strategy but not actively involved in shaping or implementing it. — Focus remains on meeting exter nal compliance requir ements, with no link to broader sustainability ambitions. — Procur ement plans and decisions are not informed by corporate sustainability objectives. — Sustainability is not consider ed a strategic priority within the procur ement function.— Procur ement supports corporate sustainability goals through a risk lens (e.g. due diligence, reputational risk). — Some procur ement activities reflect sustainability considerations, but there is no formalized alignment. — If corporate guidance is unclear , procur ement may adopt its own basic sustainability principles. — Engagement with the corporate sustainability team is ad hoc or operational in natur e.— Procur ement strategy is clearly aligned with corporate sustainability objectives and cascaded into functional plans. — Sustainability goals are embedded into sour cing strategies for high-impact categories. — Procur ement collaborates with corporate sustainability teams to co- own targets and report progress. — Inter nal stakeholders view procur ement as a key contributor to delivering corporate sustainability outcomes.— Procur ement is a strategic advisor , influencing the direction of sustainability strategy through data and insights. — Sustainability targets are actively co-cr eated with C-suite, and procur ement contributes to enterprise- wide sustainability ambition. — Procur ement’ s performance is evaluated based on its contribution to corporate sustainability outcomes. — Procur ement is seen as a driver of innovation and transformation aligned with long-term business and sustainability goals.Alignment to corporate sustainability strategy Note: CSO = Chief Sustainability Officer, COO = Chief Operating Officer, CFO = Chief Financial Officer. Green Procurement Playbook: The CPO’s Guide to Delivering Value for Business and Planet 10